New DC liquor laws take effect

WASHINGTON– A number of new District of Columbia liquor laws now allow alcohol to be bought, sold, and delivered seven days a week.

The Manufacturer Tasting Permit Act of 2013, which just went into effect, also allows tastings to occur from 1- 9 p.m. every day. Under previous law, establishments were only permitted to conduct tastings Thursday through Saturday.

Restaurants, bars, taverns, hotels, and nightclubs in the city with a class C license will also be allowed to store and distill their own liquor, granted they get a Distillery Pub Permit through the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration (ABRA).

The permits come with an annual fee of $7,500.

“A licensee…can sell the liquor they distill in sealed containers to customers who can take the product home with them,” according to a ABRA spokesperson.

The Distillery Pub Licensure Act of 2013 also allows the sale and purchase of liquor on Sundays from 7 a.m. to midnight.

Manufacturers were also previously prohibited from selling alcohol to wholesalers, retailers, or consumers on Sundays.